Crust Movements as Revealed by Physiography
During the last quarter of the nineteenth century another division of geology, dominantly American, was taking form and growth,—the science of land forms,—physiography. The history of that development is treated by Gregory in the preceding chapter but some of its bearings upon theory, in so far as they affect the subject of mountain origin, are necessarily given here.
Powell, Dutton, and Gilbert in their explorations of the West saw the stupendous work of denudation which had been carried to completion again and again during the progress of geologic time. The mountain relief consequently may be much younger than the folding of the rocks, and may be largely or even wholly due to recurrent plateau movement, a doctrine to which Dana had previously arrived. But the introduction of the idea of the peneplain opened up a new field for exploration in the nature and date of crust movements. Davis by this means began to study the later chapters of Appalachian history, the most important early paper being published in 1891.95 Since then Davis, Willis, and many others have found that, girdling the world, a large part of the mountainous relief is due to vertical elevatory forces acting over regions of previous folding and overthrust. In addition, great plateau areas of unfolded rocks have been bodily lifted one to two miles, or more, above their earlier levels. They may be broad geanticlinal arches or bounded by the walls of profound fractures.
The linear mountain systems made from deep troughs of sediments have come then to be recognized as but one of several classes of mountains. This class, from its clear development in the Appalachians, and the fact that many of the laws of mountain structure pertaining to it were first worked out there, has been called by Powell the Appalachian type (12, 414, 1876). A classification of mountain systems was proposed by him in which mountains are classified into two major divisions, those composed of sedimentary strata altered or unaltered, and those composed in whole or in part of extravasated material. The first class he subdivides into six sub-classes of which the folded Appalachians illustrate one. It appears to the writer that Powell’s classification gives disproportionate importance to certain types which he described; but nevertheless, the fact that such a classification was made, indicates the growth of a more comprehensive knowledge of mountains,—their origin, structure, and history.